Black Friday signifies the period in which retailers begin to start earning the majority of their profit, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. From the day after Thanksgiving, companies benefit from the holiday rush to buy gifts.
A variety of speciality stores open up around this time as well, hoping to churn a quick profit. These businesses – such as Christmas decoration stores – usually spring up in local malls, hiring temporary workers until they are no longer needed following the New Year's discount period.
Some retailers are taking Black Friday to extremes, opening earlier than in previous years due to consumer demand, USA Today reports.
For example, Toys "R" Us will open its doors at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving day – one hour earlier than last year – while Target plans to open at midnight, four hours earlier than 2010.
The midnight opening doesn't sit well with a cart attendant at an Omaha, Nebraska,Target, according to the news source. Anthony Hardwick, who will need to come to work four hours earlier than last year, started a petition to push back the opening date, and has obtained 62,00 signatures as of this week.
However, Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder explained to the media outlet that consumers want to shop following Thanksgiving celebrations rather than get up in the middle of the night to wait in line.
